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Has anyone ever had a failure of the front/bow stay on a 26M equipped with roller furling? Please describe what happened and how to prevent such a failure in the futore. Thanks, Matsconn.

Never.
On my 26 x, I the halyard used to hoist the roller furler 'sock' serves a double duty: I always attach it to the pulpit. Good line to hang from when hauling the anchor, too. One less line to attach to the mast cleats.
Its effect is mostly psychological, but if the furler should fail, the line would keep the mast in place. In a vertical position, the mast doesn't put much tension on the forestay

I wanted to also use the jib halyard as a backup stay connected to the pulpit. However it kept wrapping up in the furler.

So I added another mast hound above the forestay and a fixed line down from it to the pulpit as a safety.
I can't think of any reports of failed headstays, but it makes me sleep better.

I have not heard of one failing, however close periodic inspection of the forestay is important. I found 3 broken wires at the top of mine next to the crimped fitting and replaced it immediately so as not to have a failure.

Sadly, yes. Our forward stay failed...but only after I inadvertently engaged the mast with a tree while launching at an unfamiliar ramp. I wasn't going fast...walking pace...but that was enough. The mast fell back onto the rear support roller. Thankfully the mast was OK, as was the genoa. Needed a new stay and furler unit.

"Unlucky" to hit the tree...well, actually it was poor situational awareness after a vehicle parked in front of me and I had to swing wider than I had planned. However, I count us as very lucky that no more damage was done.

I replaced the forestay with the standard fit Mac stay. Was thinking about fitting a second forestay, as backup, but haven't yet and am now not quite so gun-shy. Also looking up more at all ramps!

In my quest to re-do the front rigging, I heard from one rigger that storing the boat mast up with a foresail cover - the loose cover can catch so much wind it leads to failure at the top of the forestay. Apparently this happened at least once.
Not a bog deal on a trailer sailor.

The standard forestay on the M boats (X, too) is 1/8" 1x19 wire rope. When I called BWY for a replacement forestay, which I would have just made myself but for the roller swaged threaded fitting on the bottom, they offered an 'upgrade' 5/32" forestay. I declined, as the standard size is adequate, but they shipped me the heavier one anyway.

If you're concerned, ask them if they'll make a 5/32" forestay for your M boat.

But with any wire rope, you need to inspect it at regular intervals. Mine had a couple of broken wires at the top, as bending over the thimble, and with some side loading, is tough on wire rope. A toggle would help, of course, but regular inspections are an absolute must.

And having said all that, I attach my spinnaker halyard to the bow rail, and snug it so it doesn't get into the roller furler. It's not like I'm losing sleep over the forestay failing; rather, it's that the halyard is there anyway and not doing anything, so a convenient place to store it is on the rail, with the added minor benefit of backing up the forestay. But this is the only boat I've had where I've done that, and I'm not sure I've even seen any other boats with the halyard to the bow rail. If masts were dropping like flies, the rigging would be different to start with.

RobertB wrote:In my quest to re-do the front rigging, I heard from one rigger that storing the boat mast up with a foresail cover - the loose cover can catch so much wind it leads to failure at the top of the forestay. Apparently this happened at least once.
Not a bog deal on a trailer sailor.

A big concern for trailer sailboats is rigging fatigue. I replaced my forestay once because the constant bending from launching broke a couple of strands. So inspection and periodical replacement is necessary compared to our fixed mast keelboat neighbors. Fortunately it's cheap to do so.

I had a roller furling sock cover. The thing shook like mad when big winds kicked up. Was like a big honkin' flag. I wrapped it with a line to reduce it's windage a bit. Finally replaced the headsail with a sewn in cover. I still make sure to tie the sheets tight to keep tension on the thing.

--Russ

Tom this is very good info, I for one changed my headstay to 5/32 as it has much more stress than uppers or lower standing stays. Also very important to have toggles on both ends of the headstay. Most failures is lack of these toggles. The toggles allow twisting motion on the stays due to roller furler movement as it furls.
Without the toggles the furler will twist the headstay line and will start to fray and break strands.
I also add that the 5/32 line fits in the CDI2 furler better and beating to windward won't slack out as much as the 1/8 wire.
This gives better windward performance, not much but in my case 2-3 degrees to windward closer to the wind. It does add about 1 lb to the weight but well worth it.
I have a 105 jib and the inward track is much better beating into headwinds, at apparent 8 mph winds I can close haul within 45 degrees and many times at 40 degrees off the wind or less.
Dave

Tomfoolery wrote:The standard forestay on the M boats (X, too) is 1/8" 1x19 wire rope. When I called BWY for a replacement forestay, which I would have just made myself but for the roller swaged threaded fitting on the bottom, they offered an 'upgrade' 5/32" forestay. I declined, as the standard size is adequate, but they shipped me the heavier one anyway.

If you're concerned, ask them if they'll make a 5/32" forestay for your M boat.

But with any wire rope, you need to inspect it at regular intervals. Mine had a couple of broken wires at the top, as bending over the thimble, and with some side loading, is tough on wire rope. A toggle would help, of course, but regular inspections are an absolute must.

And having said all that, I attach my spinnaker halyard to the bow rail, and snug it so it doesn't get into the roller furler. It's not like I'm losing sleep over the forestay failing; rather, it's that the halyard is there anyway and not doing anything, so a convenient place to store it is on the rail, with the added minor benefit of backing up the forestay. But this is the only boat I've had where I've done that, and I'm not sure I've even seen any other boats with the halyard to the bow rail. If masts were dropping like flies, the rigging would be different to start with.

Interesting point about toggles - but I just cannot picture how to rig to accommodate twist. Toggles in the way I picture accommodate everything but twist. Seems a swivel could work (or a loose turnbuckle ).

I hope to pick up my new forestay and furler tomorrow. Went with 5/32", a Johnson-Highfield lever at the base, and the CDI FF-2 furler. Was looking at the Schaefer Snapfurl CF-500 but it would have required a smaller diameter luff tape/rope. Pretty sure the forestay mast hound will move up a bit. Not sure exactly what fitting at the top - probably a swaged marine or aircraft eye. This with the shackle at the hound should accommodate all up/down and side to side movement.

Odd coincidence, something in my forestay rigging failed today. When I unfurled the genoa it deployed about 30% then the base of the furler came apart and down she came. Scared the heck out of me and my son. The mast came crashing down, caught on the lifeline forward of the winch on the starboard side. Genoa ended up in the water, I didn't have the main up, pretty sure the gooseneck for the main is toast, bent a spreader and the mast base. I anchored while we pulled everything back onto the boat, got it all secured then motored back to the ramp and pulled out. It was a bad end to a very long day of trailer and brake maintenance. Tomorrow morning I'll start the forensics to figure out what let loose. All that was left in the base of the furler was a large flat washer. I have the entire foil to include the base where the furling line spools, no apparent damage to the sail. The furler is about the only thing on the boat I haven't disassembled and rebuilt since I bought it 14 months ago. Guess there will soon be one less thing that I haven't personally disassembled. Light winds today, saturday we sailed for 4 hours on just the furled genoa in 14-16 knot winds. Went well out into the Chesapeake saturday, today we were only a mile or so from our ramp. Glad it picked today to fail.

I replaced my head stay with a 7x16 wire and up a size or two. Due to the flex on these boats it's hard to keep the head stay as tight as it should be so this wire is more forgiving of bending and also the rigging process while launching. It does have more stretch then 1x19 wire. But in such short lengths I deem it a non issue. In my opinion the headstay should be the strongest on the boat. The mast could injure someone if it falls.
The headstay also takes a lot of abuse from shaking sails adding to metal fatigue.
Ix

Jstyers, I hope you post pictures of your furler failure as Im also putting one of these on now. Ive never heard of one of those comming apart..

Just an FYI, this pictures is from the Schaefer snapfurl



Im trying to imagine what could come apart. These furlers get their strenght from the wire and turnbuckle hardware - not the furler itself. The one Im putting together has a turnbuckle at the base (inside the drum). You normally cant inspect to see if the clips that keep the turnbuckle from rotating are in place and in good shape.. Imagine if the clips failed and the rotation of the furler somehow unscrewed the tunbuckle. The bottom of the furler should also have a toggle to make sure that bending in any direction doesnt point load things..

Odd coincidence, something in my forestay rigging failed today. When I unfurled the genoa it deployed about 30% then the base of the furler came apart and down she came. Scared the heck out of me and my son. The mast came crashing down, caught on the lifeline forward of the winch on the starboard side. Genoa ended up in the water, I didn't have the main up, pretty sure the gooseneck for the main is toast, bent a spreader and the mast base. I anchored while we pulled everything back onto the boat, got it all secured then motored back to the ramp and pulled out. It was a bad end to a very long day of trailer and brake maintenance. Tomorrow morning I'll start the forensics to figure out what let loose. All that was left in the base of the furler was a large flat washer. I have the entire foil to include the base where the furling line spools, no apparent damage to the sail. The furler is about the only thing on the boat I haven't disassembled and rebuilt since I bought it 14 months ago. Guess there will soon be one less thing that I haven't personally disassembled. Light winds today, saturday we sailed for 4 hours on just the furled genoa in 14-16 knot winds. Went well out into the Chesapeake saturday, today we were only a mile or so from our ramp. Glad it picked today to fail.

Sorry to hear about the mishap. At least it was not worse, sounds like you mast is still OK and no one got hurt. Sounds like your turnbuckle may have came un threaded. You may only be missing the plastic thrust bearing for the furler. I am assuming its a CDI. There is a manual with the parts drawing on their website. CDI is a small easy to deal with company. My furler came missing the guts. I just called them up to order over the phone and they shipped the replacement parts right out.

http://www.sailcdi.com/ffmain.htm

You should be able to get an aluminum tube locally for the spreaders and maybe able to straighten the other parts out. If not BWY sells them. No fun but fixable.


We were in the same area all weekend enjoying the perfect winds. What ramp do you use? I have a buddy with a mac 22 at Fort Monroe in Hampton so am up that way fairly often. We sailed up the bay from Va beach in record time Friday night and got into Fort Monroe just after sunset. (anchorage was really bumpy with 15knts coming straight in) Saturday had some nice sailing upwind to the James River and was able to fly the spinnaker the whole way back to Hampton river to anchor for the night. Sunrise sunday brought another perfect 20 mile downwind sail back over the Bay Bridge and home.

Seapup wrote:You should be able to get an aluminum tube locally for the spreaders and maybe able to straighten the other parts out. If not BWY sells them. No fun but fixable.

I got my present spreaders from the local Lowes. The wall thickness is a bit thinner than what was on there when I got the boat, but they're adequate as long as you don't put any side (bending) load into them. They could be strengthened internally, which many folks have done. In a pinch, it's nice to be able to source the raw material locally, even if it's a bit light.